1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for containing the spread of a contaminant released from a water vehicle such as a chemical tanker and, more specifically, to a system that can be integrated into or retrofitted onto such a water vehicle so the contaminant can be contained in a timely fashion, before significant dispersal has occurred.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water vehicles such as tankers and barges are cost effective means for transporting industrial quantities of bulk chemicals. Often such water vehicles are the only feasible means for transporting the chemicals. Barges typically transport quantities on the order of thousands of gallons, and supertankers typically transport millions of gallons. The devastation caused by the unintended release of chemicals from the vehicles has been well publicized. Money damages can easily run into the billions of dollars, and injury to wildlife and the environment is often irreparable.
Many of the bulk chemicals transported by water vessel are largely immiscible in water and have densities lower than that of water. The best example of this type of chemical is crude oil, but there are many others. This type of chemical will be referred to in this document as a contaminant. When a contaminant is released into the water, the contaminant resides in a substantially separate chemical phase on top of the water and undergoes lateral dispersion. Water movements from currents and other forces influence the dispersion, usually promoting it.
One method for channelling or containing the contaminant is to erect a physical barrier in the water. The barriers typically are stored in rolls at a coastal port or on an emergency vessel. When a spill is reported, the barriers are physically transported to the spill site where they are unrolled and deployed by personnel using smaller water vessels. The storage sites for the barriers often are distant, perhaps hundreds or thousands of kilometers, from a spill site. When a spill is reported, emergency crews must be assembled, equipment including the barriers must be readied and checked, and the crews and equipment must be transported to the spill site. The entire process from report of the spill to erection of the barriers usually takes hours and often takes days. By this time, the contaminant generally has dispersed over such a large area that significant containment is infeasible.